The silence that followed this analysis was shared by everyone present.
Each of these three demands was no easy feat.
The first, to reduce the military strength of Mei Guo.
One must remember, dignity exists only on the tip of a sword, and truth only within the range of cannons.
Once Mei Guo's military might is diminished, it would be like a tiger losing its teeth. At that point, without Dragon Country needing to act, the backlash from allies and junior partners alone would be enough to plunge Mei Guo into an abyss from which there is no recovery.
The second, prohibiting Mei Guo citizens from participating in anti-Dragon movements.
Putting aside the loss of face, it must be considered that in recent years, various domestic contradictions within Mei Guo have become increasingly acute. The government relied entirely on promoting the "Dragon threat theory" to divert the public's attention.
If they were to ban citizens from opposing Dragon Country, it would inevitably lead to a backlash, causing all contradictions to erupt. Mei Guo would instantly descend into severe turmoil and chaos.
The third, to execute a few officials to liven things up.
This one was even more unacceptable. It's important to remember that in the past and even now, no matter which party it was, they had plotted against Dragon Country more than once, even directly intervening.
If Jing Mingqiu intended to settle scores, everyone present, without exception, would lose their heads.
After a long silence, Saloyan Primo broke it with a wry smile, "We still don't know what Jing Mingqiu's demands will be. Let's not scare ourselves. Let's first discuss the cession of Hawaii."
Before Saloyan Primo could finish speaking, a high-ranking official immediately stood up to object, "We cannot cede it, absolutely not! The territorial integrity of Mei Guo is sacred and inviolable..."
"Enough," Saloyan Primo slammed the table forcefully and roared, "There are no voters here, so stop the act! Do you think I want to cede territory and pay reparations!"
"Don't forget, I'm the damn President of Mei Guo right now. I'll have to personally sign this treaty of national humiliation and be nailed to the pillar of historical shame."
"The situation is pressing, we have no choice! Either all nuclear power plants explode, and we all go into exile, or we bow to Dragon Country and eke out a living, which still offers a chance of resurgence!"
Facing the furious Saloyan Primo, most people lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze. However, his old rival, Tulas Enli, suddenly sneered.
"Heh, if you hadn't insisted on cooperating with that alien and forcibly retrofitting a large number of nuclear power plants, how would Mei Guo have fallen into a national extinction crisis?"
"Foolish!" Saloyan Primo, facing Tulas Enli's attempt to shift blame, stood up in anger. "Not to mention that this action already had the support of the vast majority of the high command. Do you really think we would be better off without this crisis?"
Tulas Enli cast a contemptuous glance at him, "At least we wouldn't be like this now, on the brink of national extinction..."
Saloyan Primo's face grew colder, "Indeed, we wouldn't face immediate extinction then. However, if we didn't carry out the retrofitting, our power would be insufficient to produce enough Tesila gel. At that point, Dragon Country would be free to trap all our overseas bases and claim all the oceans as its territory."
"Mei Guo would appear to be alive, but in reality, it would be like a frog being boiled in warm water, a slow death!"
Tulas Enli had already realized by then, but he didn't want to concede to Saloyan Primo, so he deliberately stiffened his neck and retorted, "That's still better than being in a national extinction crisis like now!"
Saloyan Primo's anger was successfully ignited, "Tulas, if you say so? It's all my fault!"
"That's right, it's all your fault," Tulas Enli roared, "You are leading Mei Guo to ruin, and you are not fit to be the President of Mei Guo!"
"You say I'm not fit? Fine! Since that's the case, with the witnesses of many senators and representatives, I, Saloyan Primo, officially resign due to my faults!"
"A broken Presidency of Mei Guo, whoever dares to take it, I don't dare anymore!"
With that, Saloyan Primo angrily threw down the documents in his hand and left, leaving the Mei Guo officials looking at each other in stunned silence.
At this time, the position of President of Mei Guo was a hot potato. No one wanted to take it, but since no one was willing to accept it, it meant that no one was qualified to preside over this meeting.
Ultimately, this high-level meeting ended in discord.
At this juncture, no one wanted to become the target of public criticism. The entire Mei Guo was in turmoil beneath the surface, while the surface appeared calm.
Apart from Saloyan Primo's public resignation and his intention to step down as President of Mei Guo, all political voices suddenly vanished.
Everyone sensed the brewing storm and quietly began to stockpile food, guns, and various supplies.
Two days later, two loud "Boom! Boom!" sounds shattered the silence.
Two nuclear mushroom clouds rose from the heartlands of Mei Guo's Florida State and Benjamin State, plunging the entire nation into immense panic.
Under the guise of a vacation, Saloyan Primo, who was assisting at Gus Laboratory, was forcibly brought back. The interrupted peace talks were once again initiated.
Jing Mingqiu looked at the frightened and smiling Mei Guo high-ranking officials on the screen, his brow furrowed, "It seems you have considered it. Then I won't waste any more words and will directly state my third demand."
"Wait, wait a moment," Saloyan Primo, like a child in kindergarten, weakly raised his hand, "Professor Jing, if we directly cede territory, the Mei Guo people will surely tear us to shreds."
"You see, could it be that we change this to a lease? We can renew it unconditionally."
Although Jing Mingqiu truly disliked the current batch of Mei Guo officials, as the saying goes, even a cornered dog will bite. If these people were pushed too far, it might trigger World War III, which would be troublesome.
It must be remembered that Mei Guo possessed many world-ending superweapons. Jing Mingqiu found the thought of rebuilding civilization amidst radiation-infested, plague-ridden, and polluted nuclear ruins daunting.
Jing Mingqiu casually raised a finger, "That's fine too, one dollar, one thousand years."
"Professor Jing, you're joking," Saloyan Primo was sweating profusely, "If the Mei Guo people knew that such a large piece of land was sold for just one dollar, they would never agree."
"How about this? We mark a high price on the surface, but in reality, you don't have to pay any of this money. It will just be a formality."
Jing Mingqiu resolutely rejected such a compromised action, "How can that be done? My great China keeps its word. Since it's written in the contract, it must be done!"
"I'm sorry, Professor Jing, that's not what I meant." Saloyan Primo finally realized the implication of his previous statement and quickly apologized.
"Or, how about this, we add all this rent to the compensation. We will deliver the money to you first, and then you send it back, or we will use the rent to offset the payment then."
Since he never intended to collect all this money in the first place, Jing Mingqiu chuckled, "Alright, we'll do as you say."
Hearing Jing Mingqiu agree to his proposal, Saloyan Primo breathed a sigh of relief and then, with renewed vigor, cautiously asked, "Professor Jing, what is your third demand?"
Jing Mingqiu raised three fingers, "My third demand is very simple..."